PDS Host Teachers

Host Teacher - Host Teachers are school-based teachers in a PDS who serve as the supervising teacher for a teacher candidate or student teacher. Host teachers model classroom practices that support the benchmark expectations for the university students they mentor and supervise. The responsibilities of a Host Teacher include co-planning, co-teaching, and observing/conferencing with the FSU teacher candidate. Host Teachers collaborate with the PDS Site Coordinator and the university Liaison to assess the performance of the candidates and student teachers, to make decisions about the candidate and student teacher readiness for increased responsibilities, and to determine evaluation and final grades.

Professional development is provided for Host Teachers by Site Coordinators and the PDS Partnership Office. PDS faculty members interested in serving as Host Teachers should review the Roles and Responsibilities of a Host Teacher and conference with the Site Coordinator and Principal at their school.

The Fairmont State University office of clinical experiences selects host teachers from the schools involved in the PDS partnership. The host teachers are those that model best practices and serve as exceptional role models for future teachers.

Classroom teachers who serve as a host teacher must:

Hold a valid teaching license for the subject and/or grade levels for the teaching position in which the placement is made

Have a minimum of at least three years of teaching experience at the grade level and in the content area of the teacher candidate/student teaching assignment and be recommended by the building principal

Enter into a contractual agreement that semester with Fairmont State University to accept the teacher candidate/student teacher and receive a stipend for their work

have agreed to demonstrate leadership skills and assist the teacher candidate/student teacher throughout their placement

Receive training/assistance from the PDS Coordinator and/or Fairmont State University related to assessments to ensure fairness, consistency and validity

The role of the host teacher is to serve as model, guide, and instructor for the teacher candidates. While the primary responsibility is always to the students in the classroom, you will want to be aware that the teacher candidate is someone who is growing in competence and needing assistance while gradually assuming an increasing amount of responsibility. Though teacher candidates will make mistakes and need the benefit of constructive criticism, host teachers will want to avoid making the criticism public in such a way that impairs the relationship between teacher candidates and students in the classroom.

The host teacher has agreed to the following responsibilities:

Inform the students, parents, and building personnel of the Student Teacher's arrival.